Footnotes
by bacta.junkie
Summary: Neville is tired of being a footnote in someone else's love story. Luna is tired of being a footnote in his. Serious OOC. Enjoy :


**Ideas seem to come to me at the oddest of times. Like three A.M. on a Tuesday morning. Anyway, enjoy.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

He said nothing when Harry and Ginny began dating. Sure, he noticed her first, but that didn't mean she belonged to him. He watched them grow, watched their relationship develop, until suddenly he was at their wedding, toasting to the happy couple. He was a footnote in their love story. He was content with that.

He still said nothing when Hermione and Ron started going out. Though he could have made the same objections, he refused to allow his jealousy get the better of him. He wasn't jealous of Ron because he had Hermione; he was jealous of them both because they had each other. Once again he found himself in the same position, at their wedding, toasting their future together. Once again, he was confined to the footnotes of someone else's love story. And once again he was okay with that.

Then Malfoy got hitched, and suddenly all bets were off.

* * *

"Malfoy? Fucking MALFOY? How come that bastard got married before I did?" ranted Neville, halfway to smashing things. He was pacing the floor of his living room, his best friend Luna Lovegood sitting quietly on his couch, watching him.

"I mean, what happened to 'Neville Longbottom, War Hero'? What happened to the fangirls? Surely someone wants to date me. Am I that undesirable?" He smashed a vase, repaired it magically, then smashed it again. Luna put it back for him as he continued to pace.

"Neville, do you really want to date some fangirl anyway? Wouldn't you rather date someone who cares about more than just your reputation?" observed Luna.

"I suppose you're right," sighed Neville, coming to rest on an armchair opposite the couch. "That still doesn't solve the problem. I'm sick of being alone! I watch my friends fall in love and marry, watch my enemies do the same, and still I'm stuck on the sidelines. I'm sick of being a footnote in someone else's love story!" he raged.

"Write your own," she said.

"What?" he asked, having missed what she'd said.

"Write. Your own."

He was silent for a moment. Then his brain returned.

"That's a wonderful idea! I just need a leading lady…"

Luna looked at him expectantly.

"Oh, well. I suppose I'll just have to find one. Thanks for your help, Luna! I'm going to go meet witches!"

Her smile dropped as he left her alone in his own flat.

Clearly, she had her work cut out for her.

* * *

The next time she ran into him, he was sitting in a booth in the Leaky Cauldron, a quartet of random witches arrayed on either side of him. She was only there for the alcohol. Running into him was an unpleasant surprise that she chose to ignore.

"Oi, Luna! C'mere!"

Damn him.

She put on her usual smile and floated over to him, trying to push the frustration and anger down.

"Hello, Neville. Who are these women with you?"

"This is Clarisse, Tory, Amber and Sarah. Ladies, this is Luna, the girl I told you about."

The girls greeted her. She ignored them.

"I see your witch hunt is going quite well. I suppose I'll leave you five to get acquainted. Good day, Neville." She turned to leave.

"Luna, wait-"

"I said good day," she practically shouted over her shoulder as she all but stormed out of the building.

Neville shrugged and filed it away for later consideration. The scene quickly disappeared from his notoriously short memory.

* * *

Unfortunately for him, none of those particular witches had the qualities he was looking for. He'd just have to keep looking.

Luna was having tea with him when the topic came up once again.

"So, Luna, I'm dating these days, as you know. Have you found anyone yet?"

She nearly smashed her ceramic mug in her hand.

She grinned. "As a matter of fact, I am. He's gorgeous and wealthy, and he never takes me for granted."

His smile dropped. It quickly returned.

"Well good for you! I'm glad you've found someone who makes you happy."

She nearly banged her head into the table. Her grip closed around her cup.

"And you? Have you found a particular witch yet, or are you still working on four at a time?" the remark was meant to be sarcastic, but it was completely lost on Neville.

"I'm down to two, actually. Beauxbatons girls, the both of them."

The mug shattered in her hand.

He didn't even notice.

She repaired it with magic, then replaced the tea in it.

"You know you really are the best friend I have, Luna. I'm so thankful to have you in my life."

She nearly started crying. She could feel the tears in her eyes. She stood, apparating on the spot. Surely this would make for some confusion later, but she really couldn't deal with him right now.

She made it home, collapsed onto her bed and cried.

_Merlin, this boy is the most oblivious person on Earth!_

Had she been more self-aware, she might have noticed the irony of her, Luna Lovegood, accusing someone else of such a crime. Then again, even if she could've seen such irony, she was much too distraught to care.

* * *

She avoided him for weeks afterwards. She still didn't have a logical explanation for her previous behavior, and she didn't think she could face him even if she had one.

Oh, well. The bastard didn't deserve her presence anyway. At least, that's what she told herself in between buckets of ice cream and boxes of tissues.

Finally, he showed up at her front door. Or rather, in her front door, since she didn't even get up to answer before he barged in.

"Luna Lovegood, I was worried you'd died! You aren't returning my owls, you never leave your flat anymore, what happened to you?"

He looked around the room, seeing her curled up under a blanket, empty tubs of ice cream and used tissues all over the floor. Slowly, the gears in his head began to turn.

"Luna, what's wrong?"

She stood, drawing her wand. There was fire in her eyes. Luna Lovegood was out for blood.

"You, you sorry excuse for a wizard. You're what's wrong! You're the most oblivious man I've ever met!" she was steadily flinging hexes at him. He was having trouble deflecting them all. She advanced on him, tears cascading down her face in fury.

"What are you talking about?" He was terrified. He'd never seen her anything other than happy and content. Hell, he didn't even know she was capable of such anger and grief.

The hexes stopped flying. She shouted at him.

"I'm in love with you, you idiot! You've spent the last month chasing tail in town, and I've just been here for moral support! You have no idea how hard it is to watch the man you love try to choose between two gorgeous French witches! How am I supposed to compete with that?" Though she'd stopped slinging curses at him, she was still furious, and he was still terrified.

"What about your rich wizard boyfriend?" he asked, desperate to try and do something to appease her.

"He doesn't exist, you dolt! I was trying to make you jealous!" She physically kicked him out her front door, slamming and locking it in his face. "And don't come back!" she shouted through the door. She returned to her cocoon of blankets and ice cream and tissues and tears.

_Merlin's beard, _thought Neville. _What have I done?_

* * *

Several evenings later, she received an anonymous owl. The note had only five words.

_Go outside and look up._

She did exactly that.

Written out in the stars with some form of magic she didn't know existed read the words, _Luna, I'm sorry, and I love you too. Can you ever forgive me?_ And immediately beneath those words, she noted, the stars spelled out _Look down._

She looked down. kneeling beneath her, bearing a bouquet of flowers, was the most oblivious person on Earth. Tears grew in her eyes.

"I am so sorry, Luna. I'm sorry I was so oblivious, I'm sorry I hurt you, and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize that I love you too. Can you ever forgive me?"

She all but leapt into his arms. "Yes, yes I can. I already have." He dropped the flowers. They could wait. He carried her inside, kissing her through every step. The door shut and did not open for three more days.

The wedding was little more than a week later. Neville was eager to make up for lost time. No longer was he confined to the footnotes of someone else's love story, and he was looking forward to writing his own with his love at his side.


End file.
